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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Toronto Blue Jays Scout Visits With Bengals

On Wednesday afternoon Toronto Blue Jays area scout Nick Manno spent time with the Bengal Baseball Team. He discussed his career path as a major league baseball scout, what he looks for when watching games; which included some helpful hints for our players as they prepare for the upcoming season. Manno told the players that physical talent is critical while scouting but a players "make-up" is just as important.

Manno is a graduate of Padua Franciscan High School and Mount Union College.

He was a student athlete for Mr. Gressock while in high school. He also played for Coach Sliwinski and was a teammate with Coach Mordarski. Professionally he has worked for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals as a scout and player development director. He then held a position at the Major League Baseball Office as a coordinator of operations prior to taking his current position with the Blue Jays. During his playing days Nick was a "slick fielding" second baseman who hit from the left-side of the plate.

Manno finished his visit by giving the team a little Benedictine history lesson. His dad, Bruce Manno, is a 1971 Graduate of Benedictine High School. As a young man Bruce told his mom that one day he would work in professional baseball. He then worked his way from a student at Cuyahoga Community College to the low minor leagues. Nick told us his father was very detail-oriented and meticulous, especially when it came to field maintenance. His hard work landed him a job with the Milwaukee Brewers and later with the St. Louis Cardinals where he was a part of a World Series Championship. Bruce is currently the assistant general manager of the Atlanta Braves.